The Australian government has flagged its plans to introduce legislation that would require telcos to hand over information about their networks and services to the Attorney-General's Department, or face fines.

Less than two months after passing legislation that was designed to limit access to stored telecommunications data, the Australian government has quietly added Immigration and Border Protection to the list of agencies that can access data.

A call for the government to implement a widespread internet filter in addition to allowing rights holders to get piracy sites blocked shows that the legislation will be an open door for full internet censorship in Australia.

Australian Attorney-General George Brandis has refused to release the PricewaterhouseCoopers report prepared for the government on the cost of the industry for the Australian government's mandatory data-retention legislation.

While on the one hand, the Australian government is claiming that security agencies will not get access to any new data under mandatory data retention, Attorney-General George Brandis has claimed that the legislation is required because there aren't any existing metadata laws.

Labor senators voted with government senators to defeat Greens and cross-bench attempts to limit ASIO's new expansive powers to spy on all Australian internet users, as the legislation passed the Senate overnight.

The Australian government announced that it has embarked on the hunt for a children's e-safety commissioner as it prepares new legislation aimed at enhancing online safety for children and cracking down on online bullying.